The alarm nudged me out of a deep sleep at 4:00 a.m. on Tuesday morning. Tuesday, May 27, the last day of what was a practically perfect 8-day whirlwind of joy, laughter and yes, a few tears.

We caught the 4:30 a.m. shuttle bus to National Airport in Washington, D.C. and upon arrival we hastily hugged, kissed and said good-bye to my monkey sisterand her hubby before the shuttle whisked them off to the next terminal. Our visits are few and far between, but we always pick up right where we leave off… until the next time.

If you have not yet been gifted with the TSA preapproved check-in, I can only say that it is truly a gift. It’s almost as if you’re following the yellow brick road to the Emerald City where the great and powerful Oz TSA agent, will grant you 3 wishes. No shoes off, no prescription meds pulled out and the creme dela creme, no taking out of the laptop. Just walk right through to Kansas. What glory is this?!

But the airlines won’t let you off that easy. Oh, no, no, no. Once you’re at the gate it’s a game of 1, 2, 3, 4, or the dreaded 5th line to board the plane. NO! Not the 5th line! Fortunately, for us, we breezed on in 2nd position.

What fresh hell is this?!

It’s such a game. The airlines charge for checked baggage so of course everyone wants to haul everything on the plane with them, but for the poor schmucks who are stuck in the 5th line from hell, good luck finding room in the overhead storage. The trick is though, if this happens to you, the airline has to check your bag – at the gate – and they don’t charge you. And if you’re carrying something fragile in your carry-on bag, pad it well because the person next to you (and the flight attendants) will push/shove/cram your bag any which way they can in order to get theirs in; to the point of ridiculousness. And while I’m on this rant, don’t you love it when you’re in your aisle seat and the same person who is smashing your bag has their front body parts right at your eye level practically in your face? Augh! 🙁

Good luck to those in the 5th boarding line!

But as I said in my last post, sometimes you just have to bite the bullet and get on that damn flying sardine can because you’ve got to get from point A to point B in as little time as possible. And, to my knowledge they have not yet built a bridge across the Atlantic Ocean should you happen to be on your way to Europe. I don’t see that happening, but a girl can hope.

And so as we winged our way back across the country – and as I tried to keep myself entertained in order not to go stir crazy – from Washington, D.C. to Chicago to Portland, I couldn’t help but think back on the remarkable journey we just completed.

How I keep myself entertained while flying through the clouds.

A journey that two days earlier found us on top of a mountain in Virginia overlooking the serene Shenandoah Valley, the most picturesque back drop for a wedding one could hope to experience. A wedding. The words fill my heart. There is nothing quite like watching your son – your only child – marry the love of his life; knowing that this moment in time will forever fill your heart with laughter, joy and yes, a few tears.

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34 Comments

We too are sad saying good buy to monkey sister and Darrell!
I was the house sitter when they went away for the last 5 years and now they move on!
( Spain?)
I don’t think I will ever see them again. But it was a good Experience!
The house sitter
T

Good-byes are never easy, so just say, “Hasta Luego” and when your paths are supposed to cross once again, they will. Thanks so much for reading, Ted, greatly appreciated and maybe one day our paths will cross.

Thank you, Suzanne, the wedding was truly special as it was exactly the day they envisioned. I suspect you’re right about trying to suck us in, but as much as we relish the preapproval process, we don’t fly often enough to pay for it. Maybe it’s a perk of being a Boomer?!

Beautiful Patti, what an amazing backdrop for a wedding. I’m not a fan of flying either but these days I do find flights (and bus or train journeys) are the perfect time to reflect on your journey and what lies ahead.Amy recently posted…The Big Circuit and Roluos Group – Temple Hopping Part Two

Such a beautiful thing to watch your children get married. Even if it means dealing with the BS of flying. I somehow got ‘preapproved’ on my my flight from JFK to Phoenix on the way home from South Africa. Maybe it’s because I’m old, but I sure liked it.Gaelyn recently posted…Pamper yourself with a private Roman bath at Warmwaterberg Spa

It was perfectly beautiful, Gaelyn, if not surreal. A fabulous moment in time.

I highly suspect TSA preapproval has a lot to do with ranges of age. And it’s my understanding it comes through the airlines, but I really don’t know. I first got preapproved and then applied (for free) through United and he received preapproval on our next flight. Go figure!

Flying is just not a pleasant experience anymore. I loved your little rant about people cramming their bags into the overhead bins with their front body parts in your face because that EWW! moment has happened to me a couple of times. Seems like personal body space “flies” out the window when you’re flying!Anita @ No Particular Place To Go recently posted…Cahuita: Cow Whee What?

Oh you’re so right, Anita. Hubby and I always book two aisle seats, across from each other, which works really well for us because once everyone is crammed in, the aisle seats do provide a bit more room. But sitting there while everyone is getting settled can be less than appealing! 😉

It seems like flying is just a means to an end anymore; especially since all the airlines and TSA changes. It’s become a dog-eat-dog world in the airport. On the bright side, the wedding looked beautiful. 🙂Julie Conway recently posted…Bridges of Madison County

What a beautiful wedding vista. The bride and the groom look happy too. Korea isn’t too bad getting in and out of yet. I’m sure that will change. I got caught in the wrong line in Bangkok last year and ended up going through the xray machine. I had no clue, and i have to say the security people were pretty miserable. You have to stand a certain way, and if you don’t…Nancie recently posted…Travel Photo Thursday — June 5/14 — Summer Travels — Beach, Food, History, Sun!

But as far as the hassles of air travel these days? Heck, I’m amazed and thrilled that we can so easily zip round this Big Blue Dot so swiftly. even w/ all the hassle, the wearying 19 hr. flight to Asia, etc. – to me it’s still pure MAGIC!Dyanne@TravelnLass recently posted…Foto Flip Friday: Follow Your Dreams (Submit Week 1)

It was pretty darn perfect! We could not have asked for better weather, absolutely glorious blue sky with a never-ending view for a backdrop. Their choice to marry outdoors speaks to their personalities.